Scopes Trial, Take 2

So murray and i were talking about intelligent design today. Here's the email i sent him:

The main difference, i see, why this is different from the AR court case
is that that was evolution vs. creation science. This is evolution vs.
ID, which 'technically' is different. That would count as a similar
precedent and more than likely will be brought up by the smart people
side. ID effectively differs from creationism inasmuch as creationism
says god did it, ID says some intelligent designer did it--not
christian-dependent, choose your own god.

Biblethumpers seem to forget what they learned (or never learned) in
their public high schools: the difference b/w an english theory and a
science theory. English theory is basically an idea that needs to be
tested, a plan. Science theory is an idea, yes, that has yet to be
proven false. It's as close to a verifiable fact as you can get in
science.

Most people think of science as of 9/27/05 as the end-all-be-all of
knowledge, it's not. Science is always changing, more proof is coming
about for various things, old theories are being constantly tested, etc.
Although evolution is a 'theory', it has the 2 main requirements of
being a science theory--(1) it can be EXPERIMENTALLY tested and (2)
nothing has proven it wrong. Darwin acknowledges in Origin that if
either an irreducibly complex system (i think, can't remember) is found,
evolution goes to poop.

I have gotten so pissed off recently--maybe cause i'm a scientist, maybe
cause i'm an atheist, probably both--that i am planning on writing a
letter to the KS school board. I am going to start it out as a serious
fundamentalist congratulating them on having the cojones to challenge
evolution and the liberal establishment. Once i've got them in, i'll
suggest they stop teaching other supposed theories in science class,
like gravity or atoms and molecules. If i remember my bible study
correctly, the fauna of earth were molded from mud by god, NOT atoms and
molecules. The bible doesn't even SAY anything about atoms and
molecules, let alone gravity. How are we sposta raise moral young
adults in such a climate? It's downright shocking...come to think of
it, isn't electricity a theory too?

(on an anti-id note, the theory that atoms were the smallest
things/fundamental building blocks in the universe was dropped once
physicists had EVIDENCE of quarks,etc. I can't imagine the science
community was thrilled at changing its paradigm. I mean, chemists deal
in atoms...we'd all be out of a job. Also, i know for a fact, that
quantum mechanics was NOT accepted by some of the physics community,
most famously by Einstein. That whole 'god doesn't play dice' quote was
in regards to the probability that is inherent in QM.)

If/when i remember, i'll email you this article out of a magazine i get
about ID vs. evolution, specifically brought up by their new 'textbook'
Of Pandas and People....Have you heard about this? Go on amazon or
something and read about it....it's 170 pages....yes, 170 pages. That's
shorter than almost all novels and it doesn't even have a good plot. It
also has evidence on why ID doesn't work--eg, the human appendix. If we
were created just as we are now, 6000 or so years ago, why would the
'intelligent' designer put a piece in us that doesn't work and can cause
death if not excised when inflamed? Not very intelligent....must have
been on break.

Wow, that was a lot longer than i thought/planned....Maybe i won't have
to write another venting email, but i'm not sure...haven't read the news
yet today. Talking about my KS letter kinda charged me up, so maybe
i'll do that today. I'll send it to you when (if) it gets done.

Later
-Timmay

PS: http://www.venganza.org/

When/if i do that kansas letter, i'll be sure to post it here.

Questioning link time!!!!!!
Let the proverbial flood gates open....too soon?
Who knew Trevor was so magical?
The Supreme Court won't listen to cases about god in the pledge of allegiance or other touchy subjects, but they will listen to this?

Back to the mindless toil that is my job...
Later